Lin Rui's voice was low and raspy yet laced with a provocative chill.

  "What's the rush? Barely a day since I died, and you're already eager to bury me?"

  The Lin Family disciples, elders, and stewards present recoiled in shock. Many immediately probed Lin Rui's body with their divine sense, attempting to ascertain if he was possessed by a ghost cultivator, afflicted by demonic cultivation, or if his departed soul had somehow returned to life.

  Nothing amiss!

  No signs of possession! No demonic cultivator's aura! No residual traces of soul-tearing or ghost cultivator's attachment!

  -This was truly Lin Rui!

  "H-how is this possible?"

  "He was clearly dead just moments ago!"

  "This is..."

  The Lin Family members in the hall stared in stunned disbelief at the "risen-from-the-dead" youth, whispers erupting in a rising tide.

  Amidst the collective bewilderment, Lin Rui raised a hand, massaging his temple, and sighed softly. Then, he slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes chilling, yet a sardonic smile playing on his lips.

  "What's all the commotion?"

  His voice wasn't loud, yet it instantly silenced the entire ancestral hall.

  The next moment, his tone turned somber and ethereal,

  "The Ancestor has just passed, and you juniors already lack even a shred of reverence?"

  -Boom!!

  Everyone froze instantly, their faces shifting hues.

  "The Ancestor has manifested, specifically to scold you, unfilial descendants!"

  The flames flickered faintly within the hall. The incense candles behind the ancestral tablets abruptly ignited without wind, swaying slightly. The fire cast flickering shadows across Lin Rui's face, a mask of nonchalant mockery.

  Several aged elders' complexions paled drastically. Rumors of "ancestral manifestations" were no jesting matter in the cultivation world. For prominent clans like the Lin Family, the most taboo offenses were disrespect towards bloodlines and juniors bullying their kin.

  If this were true, it would mean... the Lin Family Ancestors were still watching them!

  "The Ancestral Precepts exist-do you all still recall them?"

  Lin Rui rose slowly, placing his hands behind his back, and strolled to the center of the ancestral hall. He tilted his head slightly, gazing at the inscriptions carved on the ancestral tablets, his eyes glacial and a mocking smile curving his lips.

  His voice was measured yet radiated oppressive authority:

  "The Ancestral Precepts dictate: Lin Family disciples shall be of one heart and branch, supporting each other, honoring elders and cherishing the young, forbidden from bullying kin."

  He turned his head, lightly sweeping his gaze across the assembly in the ancestral hall. His smile remained, yet his tone abruptly iced over.

  "Pity-the Lin Family's 'filial and virtuous descendants' have done a fine job."

  "The family allocates resources, favoring disciples with outstanding talent; this is the rule."

  "But when allocating resources, have you ever considered that some are deprived of even the most basic cultivation pills, even mocked and ridiculed as 'useless waste'?"

  "Some, relying on their higher cultivation level, forcibly seize cultivation resources from their own kin, then bite back and accuse, claiming it as' family regulations'?"

  "And even more-"

  Lin Rui paused, his gaze sinking slightly, his tone measured, like a cold blade piercing bone:

  "Some even dare to condone these degenerates' evil deeds, causing damage to the Lin Family's reputation. If word gets out, it would be a complete loss of face for the entire clan."

  Boom-

  Silence descended, absolute and profound!

  Some elders' faces turned ashen within the ancestral hall, while several disciples' complexions went livid, beads of cold sweat dotting their foreheads.

  The incense candles in the hall burned vigorously, a faint sandalwood fragrance permeating the air.

  Lin Rui stood at the center, hands clasped behind his back, gaze sweeping around, indolent yet sharp, as if surveying a troupe of clowns in utter disgrace.

  "I've barely crawled out of my coffin, and yet I sense some in this family are even more thoroughly dead than I am?"

  His gaze drifted across the crowd, settling upon Lin Jingshan. Slowly, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, his tone laced with an indescribable depth of meaning.

  "Lin Jingshan, you've got quite the nerve."

  Lin Jingshan's body stiffened.

  As the grandson of the Third Elder and a core family member, he was usually pampered and privileged. His cultivation was decent enough, and even when facing some elders, he could brazenly lift his chin, relying on his grandfather's influence.

  But at this moment, when Lin Rui's eyes swept over, a prickle of... fear inexplicably crawled up his spine.

  -No, why should he fear a "useless waste who'd died once already"?

  Lin Jingshan suppressed the unease in his heart, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Lin Rui, what do you mean by this? This young master has never provoked you."

  "Never provoked me?"

  Lin Rui chuckled, a low, measured sound, yet his eyes were as cold as blades.

  "Last year, when the family distributed Essence-Solidifying Pills, wasn't my share 'borrowed' by you?"

  "What did you say back then...? 'Anyway, you can't cultivate, eating them is a waste. Might as well let me take them for someone with more talent'?"

  Deathly silence descended upon the ancestral hall.

  Some family disciples exchanged shocked glances in secret.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  -They'd heard of this incident but assumed Lin Jingshan was just saying it casually back then. Who knew it was actually true?

  Lin Jingshan's face froze. A flicker of panic lashed in his eyes, but he quickly mustered a stubborn denial. "I was conserving resources for the family! What use are they to you when you can't cultivate?"

  "Oh?" Lin Rui raised an eyebrow. "So, family resources are allocated based on talent? Then how much higher is your talent compared to mine?"

  Lin Jingshan sneered. "This young master has already achieved Meridian Awakening (3rd Level). You haven't even touched the first level. What makes you think you can compare to me?"

  "Meridian Awakening? You dare boast about such paltry level before the Ancestors?"

  Lin Rui suddenly smiled.

  But his smile was exceedingly faint, even carrying a hint of chill.

  The next second, his tone abruptly sank, his gaze turning icy-cold and stern：

  "Lin Jingshan, you've consumed so many pills that don't belong to you, yet your cultivation speed is slower than a dog's crawl. Even a Lin Family watchdog cultivates faster than you."

  "If the Ancestors could know in the afterlife, seeing trash like you flaunting your power here, their grave mound would probably explode with rage."

  Utter silence reigned!

  Some family disciples nearly burst out laughing on the spot but dared not to, suppressing their mirth until their faces flushed crimson.

  -Lin Rui... those words were brutal!

  Lin Jingshan's face swelled crimson, teeth gritted as he roared, "Lin Rui, you-!"

  "I what?"

  Lin Rui narrowed his eyes, his voice laced with playful mockery. "You want to make a move?"

  He slowly raised a hand, extending a single finger, gently hooking it towards Lin Jingshan in a beckoning gesture.

  "Then bring it on?"

  Lin Jingshan was utterly provoked, his chest heaving violently, barely restraining himself from lunging forward.

  But before he could move, Lin Tianhong, the eldest son of the Family Head and also Lin Rui's uncle, slammed his hand heavily on the table, his voice imbued with formidable authority:

  "Enough!"

  Lin Tianhong's gaze swept over Lin Jingshan, his eyes as cold and sharp as daggers.

  "The family rules explicitly forbid bullying kin. I originally thought the matter of you seizing pills was a misunderstanding. Never imagined it was actually true?"

  "Lin Jingshan, do you acknowledge your transgression!"

  "I... I..."

  Cold sweat poured from Lin Jingshan's forehead. Never had he imagined that something he'd assumed he could brush off with a casual remark would now be exposed by Lin Rui before everyone!

  Even more terrifying was the aura Lin Rui exuded today, so oppressive couldn't even utter a word in retort!

  Lin Rui raised a hand, gently patting the coffin lid, his gaze drifting languidly.

  "Lucky for you, it's the Ancestor's manifestation this time, personally sending me back to settle accounts with you."

  "Otherwise, this corpse of mine would have to haunt you from under your bed."

  "...!!!"

  Lin Jingshan's face turned deathly white, his lips trembling. He stumbled back three steps, nearly falling to the ground!

  Silence reigned in the ancestral hall.

  Gazing at Lin Jingshan's pathetic, weak-kneed state, a strange sense of pity inexplicably arose in the hearts of many present.

  Yet, simultaneously, they were secretly shocked-

  Was this the same "bully the weak and fear the strong, useless Lin Rui" from before?

  Having returned from death once, he'd become so assertive and sharp, leaving no room for maneuvering!

  The atmosphere within the ancestral hall was now oppressively heavy. Others with guilty consciences began to lower their heads nervously, fearing they too might be targeted by Lin Rui's "ancestral manifestation."

  However, Lin Rui certainly wouldn't deal with only one person.

  He slowly surveyed the crowd, his gaze eventually settling upon a gaunt, wiry, middle-aged woman with a somber expression.

  She subtly retreated a step, a flicker of vigilance surfacing in her eyes.

  -Lin Qingzhu, the Lin Family's Internal Affairs Steward, allocates cultivation resources to low-ranking disciples.

  This woman's methods were always clever and adaptable. On the surface, she appeared utterly devoted. Yet, relying on the power in her grasp, she secretly embezzled cultivation resources, pocketing low-ranking disciples' spirit stones and pills for herself.

  Lin Rui's meager share of cultivation resources had long been intercepted and cut off by her through various pretexts, diverted to those so-called "family geniuses."

  The former Lin Rui-silent, weak, powerless-could only allow her exploitation, lacking even the courage to question her.

  But now?

  Lin Rui's lips curled into a faint smirk, a chilling smile surfacing in the depths of his eyes.

  "Steward Lin, the Ancestor, has been muttering for quite a while down there."

  Lin Qingzhu's heart jolted. She forced a stiff smile. "...Oh? May I ask what instructions the esteemed Ancestor has?"

  Lin Rui "sighed," his tone leisurely, as if reciting ancestral decrees:

  "He says, in recent years, the flow of family resources seems to have some 'issues.'"

  The air in the ancestral hall seemed to solidify instantly.

  Lin Qingzhu's face turned livid in a heartbeat, her fingers subtly curling, clenching her sleeve tightly.

  She knew that if her vile methods were indeed exposed, it would be enough to send her out of the Lin Family for good!

  Forcing down her pounding heart, she spoke steadily, "Lin Rui, don't you dare slander people! Family resources have always been allocated according to the rules."

  Lin Rui looked at her, slowly blinking, his tone nonchalant,

  "Oh? Then explain to the Ancestors why I didn't even see the dregs of my QI-condensing pills."

  "Why the spirit stones I was entitled to, the ledger clearly records as 'disbursed,' yet not a single piece ever touched my hand?"

  "Even funnier, the 'monthly pills' I received these past two years, even their vintage was wrong?"

  Lin Qingzhu's face froze, her body stiffening, cold sweat beading on her forehead!

  -Damn it, he's investigated all this?!

  -No, he died once; how could he possibly know?

  -Could it be that the Ancestors really did manifest?!

  Whispers rippled through the surrounding family disciples. Some, who had also had their resources deducted in the past, their gazes turned angry and shocked.

  Some even revealed subtle hints of excitement on their faces-

  -Finally, someone's going to drag this bitch down!

  Lin Rui slowly stepped forward, gently patting the coffin lid, his voice carrying a hint of a smile, yet barely audible,

  "Steward Lin, do you think... the Ancestors are already dead, so no one would dare investigate these accounts?"

  "Do you really believe, relying on family authority, you could 'smuggle goods across the border' right here in the ancestral hall, and no one would discover it?"

  Lin Qingzhu's lips trembled, feeling cold sweat soaking through her shirt, yet she still stubbornly clung to her last composure. "...Lin Rui, you're just a low-cultivation family member. How could family resources possibly open a backdoor specifically for you?"

  "Oh, you speak quite eloquently. Well, I am of direct descent lineage of the family, at least!"

  Lin Rui suddenly laughed, his eyes chillingly cold.

  "If we go by your logic, you dare to deduct even my resources. Then those branch family disciples with even lower cultivation than me, are you directly stamping out their path of cultivation?"

  "The resources you embezzled, what did they amount to? Did the family's geniuses become stronger? I see; you're the only one who's gotten fatter!"

  Silence descended across the entire hall.

  Many disciples' faces flushed crimson instantly, suppressed anger surging in their eyes!

  "That's right! My monthly spirit stones haven't been issued for three months!"

  "My Qi-Nourishing Pills were approved by the family, but when they were issued, they were half the amount of others'!"

  "My Violet Dawn Pills, never even saw a shadow of them!"

  "Me too-I have a problem-!!"

  In an instant, chaos erupted in the ancestral hall!

  Lin Qingzhu's complexion utterly shifted!

  She looked around in terror, discovering that the complexions of a crowd of disciples, stewards, and several elders had turned sour!

  -Although her embezzlement methods these years had been secretive, if indeed deeply investigated, they could unearth a mountain of problems!

  She abruptly turned her head, looking towards the elders' seats, seeking help. "...Esteemed Elders, this..."

  Lin Tianhong's face was already gloomy as water!

  He slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze was as sharp as a blade.

  "Lin Qingzhu, do you acknowledge your guilt?"

  "...!"

  Lin Qingzhu's lips quivered, cold sweat pouring down her face. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed directly to her knees!

  "Elders! I... I'm accused! I absolutely did not embezzle resources! All of this is..."

  Lin Rui chuckled leisurely, walking closer to her. Looking down at her from a commanding height, his tone was light and light yet sent chills down one's spine.

  "Weren't you just saying 'family resources are allocated according to the rules'?"

  "Why have you become accused now that the matter's been exposed?"

  "Fine then, why don't you explain it to the Ancestors and see if the old man believes you?"

  The incense candles in the ancestral hall abruptly ignited without wind, a burst of flame surging high!

  Lin Qingzhu thumped heavily to the ground, collapsing onto all fours, her entire body trembling. She was utterly broken!

  The Grand Elder said coldly, "From this day forth, remove Lin Qingzhu from her position as Steward, punish her with 100,000 spirit stones, banish her from the Family Council Hall, and forbid her from contacting any family resources for five years!"

  Lin Qingzhu went completely limp, her eyes vacant, utterly dumbfounded!

  Lin Rui... merely cast a leisurely glance at her, a calm, detached smile on his lips.

  -Much injustice brings self-destruction; ultimately, those who do much evil dig their graves.

  The atmosphere in the ancestral hall had shifted entirely.

  Lin Jingshan had just been scolded into a cold sweat, and Lin Qingzhu had been directly dismissed from her position. The disciples were seething with righteous indignation. For a time, the air pressure in the entire ancestral hall dropped several degrees.

  Yet, this "ancestral admonishment" was not over. Lin Rui would continue. He wanted to feel satisfied and reclaim some justice for the original Lin Rui!